Welcome

This was my original blog post in 2011, but I thought I’d make my manifesto easy to find by reposting it here.

The Doucherot monument, Pere Lachaise Cemetery

I started visiting graveyards by accident. A series of missed connections during the first Gulf War resulted in an unanticipated layover in London, where I just happened to pick up Victorian Valhalla, a guidebook to Highgate Cemetery. My husband Mason wanted to visit the graveyard because John Gay’s photos made it look so pretty. In fact, Highgate was ravishing, full of dramatic marble angels taking wing.

As it happened, one graveyard led to another. Mason and I decided to visit Père Lachaise in Paris because so many famous people came to rest there. As we wandered, we accidentally discovered my favorite grave marker in all the world: shackled in the granite, Prometheus raises one fist against the gods. If that doesn’t sum up my feeling about death, I don’t know what might.

So I started looking at graveyards because they were pretty, then because famous people rested there. I quickly learned that practically anonymous gravestones tell the best stories. I developed a fascination with history as reflected in burial grounds, which led to studying trends in mortuary decoration. You can say I’m obsessed with graveyards. I don’t mind.

For the first several years, I listed a new Cemetery of the Week. These are brief encyclopedia entries, something to give the flavor of a particular graveyard — enough to whet your appetite for travel — illustrated with my photographs or postcards from my collection.

In my travels, I’ve discovered that graveyards are really very fragile. All it takes is a windstorm, a flood, or a lightning bolt to do irreparable harm, not to mention the kind of damage a determined teenager can do. Cemeteries are vulnerable if they are not visited. My mission is to get people to go. The least I can do for the pleasure cemeteries have given me is to inspire and encourage other people to visit for themselves. People protect the things they love. With any luck and the right guidance, you’ll find something to love in a cemetery, too.

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18 Responses to Welcome

Loren, I found you while googling to find potential supporters for the Pere LaChaise coffee table book I’m trying to print. The public funding site, Kickstarter accepted my project proposal and I’m up and running. Please click on the link above to get a better idea of what I’m about. I hope you think it’s worth posting on your blog. I also welcome any comments or ideas you might have to help me reach my goal of creating an amazing
fine art photography book on Pere Lachaise. Thanks for your time, Mark

Loren, what an intriguing window on how we commemorate life and death!
I’ve always been fascinated by cemeteries, too. My hometown used to hold a cemetery “open day” once a year, encouraging people to picnic in the grounds. I thought it was creative and so healthy… addressing myths and helping to ally a few fears into the bargain.

I had a wonderful visit to “La Recoleta” cemetery in Buenos Aires a few years ago. Of course, you have to hunt to find Eva Peron’s grave, but you see the most amazing tributes along the way. How we bury our dead says so much about us as a culture. I’ll be back! Cheers, Alicia.

When I was a kid a cemetery abutted our back yard and we would play on the graves. I wouldn’t do that now, but I have always loved these places, and, like someone above, tend to look for the old ones when I travel. This makes me think I must put together a set of cemetery photos…thank you for taking people on this journey!

Thanks for visiting my site and liking the Little Gracie Watson, Bonaventure Cemetery post. I just started my blog and have so much to learn and do, so thanks for the like. I love your site and frankly there is nothing I like better than traipsing around a cemetery. You have an Awesome site!